BJP says TMCpaved way for Gorkhaland

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Siliguri, 27 November: Siliguri district BJP president Rathindra Bose today came down heavily on north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Addressing media persons here, Mr Bose claimed that the Trinamul Congress-led state government had itself made way for the Gorkhaland demand when it signed a tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

“The ruling party will be held responsible for (people in the Hills) demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland,” he said.

Mr Deb has alleged that the BJP was trying to divide Bengal, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has claimed that home minister Rajnath Singh has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the long-pending demands of the Darjeeling people. Addressing media persons yesterday, Mr Deb demanded that the BJP clear the air around the Gorkhaland issue.

Mr Bose today claimed: “The first tripartite agreement was signed to set up the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) during the Left regime, following agitation by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in Darjeeling Hills. That time, the agreement was signed after ‘dropping the demand for Gorkhaland’ and this was mentioned in the agreement. But the Trinamul Congress government signed the GTA tripartite agreement by ‘keeping on record the demand for Gorkhaland,’ thus officially paving the way for people in the Hills to demand Gorkhaland. ”

“The BJP’s stand is clear, and the party is still against division of Bengal. In my party’s manifesto, it was clearly mentioned that the party would ‘sympathetically consider the long-standing demands’ of the Hill people. We also mentioned the same for several other ethnic groups living in north Bengal and the northeast and recognition of their languages,” Mr Bose said.

He added that the Central government has agreed to constitute a committee to examine the demands of the Darjeeling people.

“It does not mean that the BJP is dividing Bengal,” he said.

BJP points to GTA pact

Siliguri, Nov. 27: The Trinamul-led state government signed the GTA agreement knowing the Gorkhaland movement in the hills would continue, the BJP said today in retaliation to minister Gautam Deb’s charge that the rival was trying to divide Bengal.

“The minister has raised a finger at us and has made baseless allegations. We want to mention that he should not forget that one of the three signatories to the GTA agreement was the state home secretary, who represented the state government which is run by Trinamul. In the agreement, it was clearly mentioned that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is not dropping the demand of Gorkhaland,” said Rathindra Bose, the Siliguri (organisational) district president of the BJP.

At a news conference, Bose said: “There is no point of crying hoarse and making fiery comments if Morcha leaders speak their demand.”

Bose was reacting to statements made by north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb on November 25.

Deb had said: “It seems that the BJP and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha are making another attempt to severe Darjeeling from Bengal.”

Deb made the comment a day after a Morcha delegation, on its return from Delhi after meeting Rajnath Singh, said the Union home minister had assured the party that a committee would be formed to look into the Gorkhaland demand.

The GTA agreement, to which the state government, the Morcha and the Centre are signatories, says: “… The GJM, while not dropping their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland, has agreed to the setting up of an autonomous Body… empowered with administrative, financial and executive powers in regard to various subjects.”

So far, no official in Delhi has confirmed the claim by Morcha. But as the claim has been made before civic elections in the plains, Trinamul saw campaign capital in it.

Most voters in the plains are opposed to the creation of Gorkhaland. Although, the Morcha has not held any protest in the hills of late, the declaration of a committee has the potential to polarise votes on the statehood demand.

Deb, told about what the BJP had said today, retorted: “Senior leaders of the party and the Darjeeling (BJP) MP should clarify their stand on Gorkhaland. Our chief minister was the key person to ensure that the GTA agreement is signed…. She has, however, simultaneously made it clear that the state and our party will never assent to Gorkhaland.”

Bose today said at the news conference: “Our state president has already clarified that we, too, are against any further partition of Bengal but that does not mean that we would threaten action if any political party makes the demand.”

Calcutta rally

The BJP has said it will file a petition in Calcutta High Court on Friday regarding the proposed Amit Shah rally at Esplanade on November 30, following the Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the fire services’ refusal to permit the meeting at the venue.

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